<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Cheese and Crackers by Kal_thas</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25425346">Cheese and Crackers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kal_thas/pseuds/Kal_thas'>Kal_thas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mermaid Au's [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World of Warcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drinking, M/M, Mentioned Character Death, Minor Character Death, Pirates, Sirens, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:41:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25425346</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kal_thas/pseuds/Kal_thas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Drinking in Drustvar, what could possibly go wrong?</p><p>or, the siren AU no one really asked for</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Flynn Fairwind/Mathias Shaw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mermaid Au's [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868425</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cheese and Crackers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is over 1000 words and im fairly proud of that.</p><p>ok, i love you, have a good day, that is all</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Flynn sat on the darkened beach of Tiragarde Sound, the cold northern wind carrying across the ocean waters. Behind him, the frankly terrifying trees of Drustvar gathered snow. A few white flakes drifted into his hair. He peered into the deep, murky waters in front of him, as if they could change his past. A nearly empty bottle of liquor sat in the sand next to him, his fist clenched around the neck.</p><p>His thoughts were blurry, but not enough. Weak coughs filled his ears, a memory of his mother, his last. Too poor, needed a doctor, the Navy had money, but it was all too late. He wasn't even there. She left, and he wasn't there to say goodbye. What kind of a son was he? To leave her in the freezing hospital, the middle of winter.</p><p>The water rippled in front of him, almost inviting. He half-drunkenly reached out, palm resting in the cold water. Something shone below. Rising. What the fuck was that? Why is it getting closer? He remembered where he was, the freezing, and very cursed, forests of Drustvar. Why was he here again? Well, he supposed, it won't matter why he was here if he dies. </p><p>Flynn scrambled to his feet as well as he could, trying to distance himself from the water without ever entering the woods behind him. <em>This was a stupid idea, wasn't it Captain Fairshaw?</em> </p><p>A head emerged from the water, a man it appeared. His hair seemed red, though Flynn wasn't sure, it was still far too dark. Shining green eyes peered at him, reflecting all the light of the moon. The man? thing? squinted at him, judging his drunk stumbling.</p><p>Flynn was never drinking in Drustvar again.</p><p>He fell back, tripping over a rock, landing on his ass. The water-man-creature laughed. Oh, well, that was a lovely sound, now wasn't it. That has to be a siren.</p><p>His mind fought a bit, his nearly sober ideas conflicting with his not sober enough ones. He nearly wanted to kiss the siren in front of him, and properly reprimanded himself for it.</p><p>"Are you going to say anything, or are you going to gape like a fish?" The siren said. His voice was tired, but carried like an ocean breeze. Flynn sat up straighter, catching those bright eyes.</p><p>"So? Ya aren't on a mission t' kill me?" Flynn's voice was slurred just a tad, his accent growing stronger under the rum.</p><p>The siren hummed, "No, at least not yet. Should I?"</p><p>"Ah, well, if you're askin' me, I'd say no. Tha' might change 'pendin' on who's answerin'"</p><p>The siren smirked, his moustache quirking up a bit on one side. "I'll take your word for it"</p><p>The bright emerald eyes shifted, looking over at the wooden canoe Flynn had ridden in. He swam over, reaching to the side and pulling his torso up enough to see over the side. Flynn's mouth went a bit dry looking at the soaking, lithe chest of the siren. Tides, this was gonna end badly for him wasn't it, no story of 'siren and sailor' ends well.</p><p>He refocused to see the siren pulling one of his bottles free from the canoe.</p><p>"Hey! Wait! Tha's my booze there!"</p><p>The siren looked at him, deadpan, and uncorked the top without looking away. He finally looked down, sniffing at the uncorked hole, and upon a careless shrug, took a hearty swig of it. He coughed and sputtered, dropping the bottle in the water.</p><p>"That was awful! What is wrong with you that you drink this?"</p><p>Flynn stared forlornly at the water where the bottle fell. That was some damn good rum. Well, not really, it was cheap and he had 4 others, but still, it was upsetting.</p><p>The siren moved back to the boat, rummaging through the few bags he'd brought with him. Flynn saw a small ration pack get tossed to the opposite side of the canoe.</p><p>"Is there something I can help you with? Or are you just gonna drink my rum and dump the rest?"</p><p>The siren hummed, turning and setting his eyes on Flynn. They shone in an uncanny way, just this side of dangerous. When Flynn shut his mouth with a click, the siren turned back, picking through Flynn's things again.</p><p>"Ah, if'n ya don' mind my askin', what's your name anyway?" he paused, waiting. "M' name's Flynn, Flynn Fairwind, 've been a sailor for bout' twelve years an' a pirate for 'bout five of em."</p><p>"Mathias" The siren replied, never looking up from the bag in his hands.</p><p>"Pardon?"</p><p>"My name is Mathias"</p><p>Flynn hummed, leaning his chin into his palm and looking the siren over. "Mind if I call ya Mattie?"</p><p>Mathias looked out over the horizon before glaring over his shoulder at the man. Flynn chuckled, "Yeah, I think it suits you." </p><p>Mathias gave one final, withering look and sighed. He pulled a block of cheese out of the bag. "What is this?" </p><p>"Tha's cheese mate"</p><p>Mathias sniffed at it, turning it in his palm, his eyes giving a scrutinizing glare.</p><p>"Don't drop that in the water too," he said, "please" was tacked on, like an afterthought.</p><p>The siren poked at it a few times before looking up at Flynn questioningly. He stood, sparing a moment to glare at the rock he'd tripped on, and walked to the boat. It rocked under the added pressure as he clambered aboard. He went to grab for the snack bag as Mathias snatched it away, clearly disturbed by Flynn's disruption in his search.</p><p>"Mattie, I'm tryna share."</p><p>He peered inside the bag, pulling out a small waterproofed container full of crackers. He held out his palm, looking at the now slightly wet cheese. Flynn made a show of using a cracker to scoop off a hearty bit of cheese, handing it over to Mathias, who accepted it. Flynn did the same for himself. Cheese and crackers was a lot better when it wasn't dipped in freezing salt water.</p><p>They sat, or floated, for a while, talking over snacks. The sky around them lightened, glinting off the fresh snow. Flynn looked up, taking note of the light.</p><p>"Ah, I hate to cut this now, but I need to sail back to Boralus." </p><p>Mathias peered up at him, his chin resting on his arms, draped over the side of the boat. "Will you come back?"</p><p>Flynn smiled, "Tommorow?"</p><p>Mathias smiled back, nodding, "Bring food again, it was good," he thought for a moment, "don't bring that bottle though, that was not."</p><p>Flynn stared for a moment. Tides, that was a beautiful smile, the first real, unprompted one of the night. He seemed to glow in the rays of the morning sun. Flynn shook his head, laughing at Mattie's distaste for rum. </p><p>"Of course."</p><p>He sailed back with a shadow beneath him until he reached the end of the sound. From there he sailed with a warm smile in his head.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>